France confirms talks with Taliban to deport Afghans considered security risk

The French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the discussions were strictly technical and did not amount to recognition of Afghanistan's Taliban government, which returned to power in August 2021.

The aim was to remove Afghan nationals who posed a threat to French public safety, ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said.

“This is an initiative to ensure the safety of the French people. It's a strictly technical dialogue to facilitate the removal of Afghan nationals who are in the country illegally and who pose a national security risk. These are dangerous people,” he said.

A diplomatic source told AFP news agency on Wednesday that France had begun talks to facilitate deportations directly to Afghanistan. The source said the dialogue did not change France's position on Afghanistan and that Paris would continue to support the Afghan population, particularly women.

The government has not disclosed how many people could be deported. However, a source familiar with the matter told AFP the number could amount to "hundreds".

Planned EU-Taliban talks on return of Afghan nationals spark backlash

Wider European effort

France is joining about 20 European Union countries seeking to speed up the return of Afghans living in Europe illegally, particularly those convicted of offences.

Germany, Belgium and Sweden have also opened channels of communication with the Taliban to facilitate deportations.

Germany sent at least two charter flights carrying Afghan nationals back to Kabul over the summer, although not all those deported had been convicted of a criminal offence.

The returns have drawn criticism from non-governmental organisations.

“We are firmly opposed to any deportation to Afghanistan,” Timmo Scherenberg, director of the Refugee Council in the German state of Hesse, told RFI late July. “We are talking about people who fled the Islamist regime to come to Germany.

“And, in our view, negotiating with the Taliban is out of the question, because if we consider the Taliban a terrorist regime, then we should not cooperate with them.”

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Oppression of women

The Taliban authorities are not officially recognised by France or the EU. France has had no diplomatic relations with them since their return to power and its embassy in Kabul remains closed.

The Taliban have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law since taking control of Afghanistan. Women face restrictions on entering public places and working in most jobs, while girls are banned from education beyond the age of 12.

On Thursday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said at least 52 women and one girl were arrested or detained in Kabul and Herat between July and September, and that other women were threatened with arrest.

UN rights council slams Taliban's 'oppression' of women

UNAMA also reported verbal abuse, beatings and threats against women, including female shopkeepers.

It called on the authorities to stop discriminatory enforcement and respect Afghan women's rights to movement, expression and autonomy.

A meeting between Taliban officials and European Union lawmakers in June drew criticism from human rights organisations and left-wing groups in the European Parliament.

(with newswires)